Rack for drying photographic films.



D. J. RORABBGK.

RACK FOR DRYING PHOTOGRAPHIG FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1913. v 1,072,654. Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

construction, inexpensive to manufacture said auxiliary frames in their lowered posicharacters designate corresponding parts tangular design consistingof the end sills 2 Parana ion.

nay-1n a. nonsense; or swear-n, MQNTAZNA.

BACK DRYING PHb-TGGRAPHIG FILMS.

"Specification of letters Patent.

1 ap lication-med May 5, 191's. serialno. veasss.

ToaZZ whom iima'y concern:

citizen of the United States, residing at Ryegate, in the county of Musselshel'l and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Racks for Dry- Photogr-aphic Films, of'which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in .photographic and developing apparatus and more particularly to a rack for drying films and my object is 'to provide a'device of this character which is readily adapted for use in connection with films of various sizes. I

A further obj-ectof the invention resides in providing a device which is designed to hold a plurality of films of various sizes and a still further object resides in providing a device which is simple and durable in and one which will be very efficient and useful in operation.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts .as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly .pointed out in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device partly assembled showing certain of the auxiliary frames in their raisedpositions and certainrother of tions. 2 is an end elevation of the same ,pa'rtlyin section. Fig. v3 is a longitudi-nal section through one of the auxiliary frames. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one: of the spring clamping members used in connection with the side bars of the main frame. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective'view of the central supporting strip used on the main frame; and Fig. 6 is a perspectiveview of one of the finger pieces used in connecbers.

In describing my invention, I shall refer to thedrawlngs 1n which similar reference throughout the several views and in which- 1 indicates a frame of substantially recand the side bars or clamping members 3 which are secured to the former by means of p I the'metal clips 4. Removably 'secur-edto the I Be it known that I, DAVID J. RORABEOK, a

upper faces of the end sills 2, is a metal strip or plate 5 which has numerous portions struck up therefrom as shown at 6 to form ears "and extending longitudinally through said ears or struck up portions '6, for the full PatentedSept. 9:, 1M3.

length of the frame 1, is a shaft 7 which forms a hinge or pivot pin for portions of the device to be hereinafter described. Pivotally mounted on this shaft 7, and extending from both sides thereof, are a plurality of rectangular frames 8, the same being arranged between certain of the struck up ears 6 of'th'e plate or strip '5 to prevent lateral movement of the same on said shaft andencircling said shaft, are a plurality *of coil springs 9', the one end of each of which is engaged with the stationary plate or strip '5, while the opposite end thereof is engaged with a frame 8. The normal tendency of.

these springs 9 is to force said frames 8 upwardly so that the outer free ends thereof will be raised and spaced above the outer side bars 3 of the frame 1 and in order to limit the upward swinging movement of said frames 8, the inner pivotal ends of the latter are provided with the projections 10 which are adapted to contact with the upperfaces of the plate or strip 5 when i said frames 8 have reached their predetermined raised positions. I have provided means to retain said swinging frames 8 in their lowered positions incontact with -the side bars 3 of the frame land to this end,

said outer side bars are provided, at regular intervals on the inner faces thereof, with V leaf springs 11. -These leafsprings are secured at their lower ends to the inner faces of the side bars and project upwardly from the inner faces thereof, the extreme 'fre'e edges thereof projecting somewhat inwardly to form finger pieces. provided in each of the leaf springs which is adapted to receive'therein a fp'in 13 carried on the outer end bar "of each of'the frames 8, said pin projecting inwardly from It will be seen' the inner face of the latter. from this construction that'as a frame 8 is forcedido'wnwardly, the pin 13 on 'the'outer An opening 12 is end bar thereof will contact with the outer face of the projecting portion of the leaf spring 11 and when the lower edge of the outer bar of said frame contacts or rests on the upper end of the inside bar 3, the pin 13 will spring into locked'position in the opening-1'2 of said leaf, spring 11. The frame will thus be retained in its lowered position until such time when the leaf spring is released from engagement with said pin 13, whereupon said frame will be automatically disposed to its raised position, under tension of the spring 9. V r

I have also provided means for the clamping of films to the side bars 3 and the outer end bars of each of the frames 8 and to this end, leaf springs 15 are secured to the inner faces of the side bars 3, the same being bent below said side bars to project in front of said side bars in spaced relation thereto. These arcuately bent leaf springs are ar-. ranged in pairs and secured to the free end of each pair is a clamping bar or plate 16 which is provided with a plurality of inwardly projecting teeth 17, saideteeth being adapted to be forced under tension of the springs 15 against the outer faces of the side bars 3. Each of the clamping bars or' plates 16 is also provided with an outwardly projecting finger piece 18, while additional finger pieces 19 are also secured to the outer faces of the side bars 3 to cooperate with said finger pieces. By pressing the finger pieces 18 and 19 together, the teeth 17 on the clamping bars 16 will be sprung away from the outer faces of the side bars 3.

Secured to the inner face of the outer end bar of each of the frames 8, is a pair of leaf springs 20 which are bent around the upper edge of said outer end bar and disposed downwardly in spaced relation to the outer face thereof. vEach pair of these springs 20 on the frames 8, is connected at the free ends thereof by a clamping bar or plate 21 which has inwardly projecting teeth 22, the latterbeing adapted to contactwith the outer face of the end bar of the frame under tension of said springs'20. Each clamping bar or plate 21. is provided with a downwardly curved finger piece 23 and the outer face of each ofthe end bars of the frames 8 is provided with an additional downwardly projecting finger piece 24 to cooperate with the finger piece 23. By forcing said finger pieces 23 and 2a together, the teeth 22 on the clamping plate or bar 21, will be drawn away fro-m the outer bar of the frame 8. l

From the above description, it will be seen that substantial spring clamping jaws are provided on the side bars-of the main frame and on the outer ends of the swinging or auxiliary framesand in order to dry a plurality of films on the rack, said swinging auxiliary frames are first released from their lowered positions by releasing the leaf springs 11 from their engagement with the pins 13, thus allowing the free ends of the frames 8 to be forced to their raised positions under tension of the springs 9. The

one end of each film is then clamped to the side bar 3 by springingthe teeth 17 of the clamping plate 16 into engagement therewith. By grasping the finger pieces 23 and 24 and pressing them together, each frame 8 is forced downward until the free end thereof is near enough to the side bar to admit the other end of the film t'o-be introduced between theteeth 22 of the clamping bar 21, and the outer bar or auxiliary frame. Then by releasing the finger piece 23, the upper end of the film will be clamped tightly to the outer bar of the frame 8, by engagement of the teeth 22 therewith and by releasing the finger piece 24:, the end bar of said frame 8 will be raised upward under the tension of the spring 9, until said film is taut. Through this medium, films may be of various sizes and, in any instance, the same will be readily fitted to this device to be drawn taut and dried in the rack.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a device which is simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and one which will be very efiicient and useful in operation, and while I have particularly described the elements best adapted to perform the functions set forth, it is obvious that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the principles of the invention.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is 1. A film drying rack comprising a main frame, a plurality of auxiliary frames hingedly mounted thereon, means in connection with said auxiliary frames to normally force the outer ends of the same in raised position with respect to the main frame, and clamping members in connection with the outer ends. of said auxiliary frames and portions of said main frame adapted to cooperate With one another.

2. A rack of the class describedcomprising a main frame, a plurality of. auxiliary frames hingedly mounted thereon, means in connection with said auxiliary frames to normally force the same in raised position with respect to the main frame, means for locking said auxiliary frames in their lowered positions in engagement with said main frame, and clamping members on said main and auxiliary frames adapted to cooperate with one another.

3. A rack of the class described comprising a main frame of substantially rectangular design, a plurality of auxiliary frames hinged centrally on said main frame, the

free ends of said auxiliary frames being 3 adapted to rest upon the side bars of said main frame, means in connection with said auxiliary frames to normally force the same to their raised positions, means for locking said auxiliary frames in their lowered positions in contact with the side bars of said main frame, and clamping members carried on the outer ends of said auxiliary frames and 011 the side bars of said main frame adapted to cooperate with one another.

4. A rack of the class described comprising a main frame of substantially reotangu lar design, a central longitudinal strip mounted thereon, a. plurality of auxiliary frames hinged at their inner ends on said strip and adapted to have their outer ends rest on the side bars of said main frame, spring means in connection with said strip and auxiliary frames to normally force the latter to their raised positions, means to limit the upward swinging movement 'of said auxiliary frames, means for locking said auxiliary frames in their lowered posi tions in contact with the side bars of the main frame, and clamping members on the outer endsof said auxiliary frames and on the side bars of said main frame adapted to cooperate with one another.

5. A rack of the class, described compris ing a main frame of substantially rectangular design, a central longitudinal strip mounted thereon, a plurality of auxiliary frames hinged at their inner ends on said strip and. adapted to have their outeren'ds, raised 1n contact with the side bars oft-he mean frame, sprlng means 1n connection with the hinged ends of said auxiliary frames to normally force the same to their raised positions, means to limit the upward. swinging movement of frames, spring locking means for retaining said auxiliary said auxiliary frames in their lowered pomounted thereon, a plurality of auxiliary frames; hinged at their inner ends on said strip and adapted'to havetheir outer ends contact with the side bars of the main 50 frame, spring means in connection with the hinged ends of said auxiliary i frames to normally force the same to their raised positions, project-ions formed on the inner ends of said auxiliary frames adapted tocontact with said strip to limit the upward swing ing movement of said auxiliary frames,

spring locking means in connectionwith" said auxiliary frames and the side bars of c said mainframe ,tolock the former in'their lowered positions in contact with the latter, and spring clamplng members in connection with. the outer ends of said'auxiliary frames and the sidebars of sa1dma1nframe.

adapted to cooperate with one another.

Intestimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signaturein the presence of two witnesses.

a a g DAVIDJ. RORABECK. Witnesses: A

BINONE MELLEN,

MARVIN RO ABEGK.

Copies of'this patent may be obtained for fiye cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, .D. G. 

